Chart your way to an understanding of nanoscale. Using a Google map, learners estimate a radius around their location of 1,000 and 1,000,000 meters. Predicting what 1,000,000,000 meters would look like takes them off the charts!...

Match game for the win! Build learners' historical vocabulary using an interactive matching game. Class members match each term to its definition with a tap. A writing prompt rounds out the lesson, leading to further discussion on how...

Space is about 60 miles from the surface of Earth. Pupils make calculations to model that distance by stacking coins the appropriate height using scale. They then explore the distance to objects in space such as satellites and the space...

Young learners research and present information about a chosen subject to their peers, parents, instructors, and community. This lesson plan has a strong research and public speaking component, and would be ideal for your higher level...

Read Just a Little Bit, by Ann Tompert as an introduction to levers. Discuss playground seesaws and then turn learners loose to experiment with the placement of a fulcrum. Their goal is to determine where to place it in order to lift ten...

All you need is a zero and a one. Build pupils' understanding of binary values and number systems to gain familiarity with binary numbers. Using a hands-on activity and technology, scholars learn how the binary system works and its...

A middle school test contains two 40-minute sections covering material through algebra. All questions involve applied problem solving or mathematical analysis.

What is reflectivity, and what does it have to do with the Earth's climate? As reflectivity is measured by albedo, scientists can gather information on Earth's energy balances that relate to global warming or climate change. Budding...

When faced with a dilemma, how do journalists decide how much news to use? Social media scholars explore the philosophies of ethical resolution in the first of a 16-part Social Media Toolbox series. Partnered pupils use a Potter Box to...

Looking for a resource that tests both US History and government?  Here's a test that serves as a great way to test comprehension of complex concepts by using a variety of question formats and covering a wide array of topics. The...

How does climate impact the town, city, or area where people live? Scholars research the concept of climate change as it pertains to the Marshall Islands. The opening lesson of a two-part series uses interactive online resources and...

The Bradys, the Flintstones, and the Simpsons are some of pop culture's most memorable families. So how do the Applewhites stack up? Using a novel study for Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan, scholars answer text-based...

Students identify different climate regions and local weather patterns.  For this cloud coverage lesson students use NASA satellite data and import it into Excel. 

Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...

What a great way to discuss European immigration in the 1700's to 1800's in America. Learners identify regions where immigration occurred, list the reasons people moved to the United States, and interview an immigrant about their...

Here is a fantastic poster that you can easily and frequently reference in your class whenever you are asking your young writers to cite their sources. Using the acronym ICE, learners are reminded to introduce, cite, and explain...

To prepare for the Exploring the World Performance Task, class groups generate a list of places they would like to explore, examine images of seven natural wonders of the world, and consider why these sites are wondrous. A map and images...

Algebra and geometry are not interchangeable. Demonstrate why not with a series of problems that deal with the equations of circles and equations of lines that meet specific criteria. 

A six-page test covers content from several different high school math courses. It incorporates a few short answer, graphing, and word problems. It also allows room for mathematical reasoning and analysis.

If you've always wanted to know the perimeter of the state of Oklahoma, now's your chance. A measuring activity has learners use three different sticks to estimate the perimeter of the state. Along the way, they learn how convergent and...

Plan an environmentally friendly field day for your young conservationists with this collection of activities and resources. Whether it's bowling with plastic bags full of crumpled up newspaper and empty plastic...

Many people think the best solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution. After reviewing the available resources, scholars determine whether they agree with that approach. They analyze graphs and charts about...

Plan the way to school. Given a map of a school district, class members portray a transportation consultant hired to develop a bus transportation plan that will pick up the eligible riders and get them to school. The plan must contain...

How do we know where we are in the world? A presentation for middle schoolers explains absolute location and other geography terms such as relative location. It also gives scholars the opportunity to practice finding absolute location on...